Electric switch



Dec. 14 1926. 1,610,611;VK

, G. H. HART.

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Jan. 16, 1924 2 Sheets-.shut 1 v x mf/7? Y I A'www;

' Dec. 14, 1926. 1,610,670

G. H. HART EbECTRIC SWITCH l Filed Jan. 16, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2y l i 6l lf ,2g

Patented Dec. 1.4, 1926. u, A

A UNITED S'T'1"l1 i-` PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE Eisenman HART, or wns'r HARTFORD, coNNEcricUr.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

-Applicaton filed January V16, 1824. Serial No. 686,510.

The object of the present invention is to provide an electric switchhaving various features of novelty and advantage.

More particularly, an aim of the invention is to provide anelectrics'witcho improved construction, wherein damage to. or

` destruction 'of the .contact members, owing to the contacts poundingAgor improperly striking one another when brought into engagement, andto arcing when the circuit is broken, is substantially eliminated. Also,

15o-provide a switch which is characterized by its simplicity andcheapness in construction, its durability, and its eficiency inoperation. In Aaccordance with the present invention,

,Y the arrangement of the switch is such that .the switch unit (orunits) is free to adjust itself to, and is held at al1 times in properrelation to, the fixedcontacts; and thus inaccuracies in the parts, forinstance such as result from the warping or distortion when molding theporcelain base, are automat-if' cally taken care o which means that alesser de ree of precision and, therefore, less work an -expense arerequired'inmanufacturing the parts. The switch unit is held in properrelation to the terminals lor fixed contacts by the terminalsthemselves, in such manner that vthere is no excessive bindin or rubbingaction between the arts; and t e construction of the switch unit issuch' that arcing is i reduced to a minimum.

Other objects will be in part obvious and iny art pointed outhereinafter..

he invent'on accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of ele` ments and arrangementoff parts lwhich will v beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope ofthe application of whichy will beindicated'in theA appended A claims.

In the' accompanying drawings, I have shown myimprovements incorporatedin a' switch, the switch unit (or units) oi which the sort yErovementsare susceptible of various modicatioiis, changes and embodiments.

may be rotated in either' direction to make an break the circuit, but itis to be understood'that this showing is by way of illustration only, itbeing obvious that my. iinprovements may be incorporated, either singlyor severally, in Aswitches other than herein disclosed, and that my ini-'fifsaid drawings: nal Y igure 1v is a io view o :my improvedswitchwitittlie cover removed;

Fig.A 2is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 2 2 ofFig. 1; f

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3v-3 of Fig, 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing, on an enlarged scale, parts of one ofthe switch units;

`Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing another embodiment; andvJ F1g.,6 is a view showing parts ofY the switchnnitv of Fig. 5 insection, and partsin erspective. 5

efferring to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, of the drawings, 10 designatesa'base of suitable insulating material, such as porcelain. Carried bythe |base are suitable fixed terminal elements or contacts` the numberof which will depend upon the requirements. `In a single pole switch,there may be two such 7 terminals. In the illustration of Figs. 1 to 3,there is shown a .double pole switch 11nd,'. therefore,l two pairs ofterminals'are provided. 'lhe terminals of one part are designated bytlie numllaral 11, andthosel of the other pair, which are at rightangles to and at a higher elevation than those of the first pair, aredesignated by the numeral 12. Associated with the respective paiirs ofxed contacts are the switch units a and b. These units are soconstructed and associated with the member by means of whichtheyare'rotated and with the xed contacts, that thy are free to adjustthemselves with respect to c the fixed: contacts, as hereinafterdescribed more in detail. By way of example, I have i 15 and the switchunits associated therewith are thrown with a quicken snapy movement. i'

It is to understoodthat this arrangement. .is sh own 1n the drawings byway of exemplication. Y 'I 'he spindle 16 is journalled in a 18 mthebase10, andhahandle 17iix to its outer end. The handle in a be fixed againstrotation on the spindle a proA }ectingarm19securedhithespindleandmareoessinieunderfaoftlin dle. Secumdimsoastorotatewithhe'.

posi.' Vll() spindle is a spring hmm-which is tioned within the drivingt 15. The.-

'latterisintheformofayokeorminvu't-1 los ed U, having its lower'endssecured to a guide plate 21 in which is mounted, for radial movement, acatch plate 22 adapted to cooperate with a stop plate 23 secured to thebase' 10. The construction of the stop plate and catch plate issimilarto that illustrated in the patent to lSmart and Gates, No. 1,409,146,dated March 7, 1922, and, therefore, is not shown in detail in thepresent instance. Coiled about the spindle 16, and having its endsstraddling the spring lever and one leg of the member 15, is spring 24.It will be understood that the handle may be turned, step by step, ineither direction. When the handle is turned, the spindle 16 and thespring lever turn therewith,

thereby placing the spring 24 under tension until the catch plate'isreleased from the stop plate and then the spring throws the drivingelement 15 and the switch units associated therewith with .a quick orAsnap movement. The catch plate re-engages the stop plate to stop theswitch units in their new indexed positions.l

In the present instance, each of the switch units includes a pair ofinsulating disks maintained in spaced apart relation by an insulatingwasher 31 of lesser diameter, and a conducting member or switch plate 32located on the outside of each disk 30 and having` its ends bent orturned over so as to extend into the groove or channel 33 between disks30. The groove or channel 33 in the periphery of each switch unit, andwhich groovereceives the fixedI contacts, is preferably cbntinuous andis of slightly `greater Width than the thickness of the fixed 'terminalsso that there is sufficient clearance to'permit the units to accommodatethemselves to the fixed terminals. The conducting members or switchplates 32 may be of any suitable shape, depending on the adoptedconstruction of .other parts. Each of them is here shown, by way ofexample, as comprisin a plate having diametrically-opposite` ngersoriarms 34, the ends of which are turned over so as to project into the'groove 33. The disks are suitably lcut away to accommodate the over lturnedl fingers 34, in the present instance, thedisks being slotted asat 35 for this purpose. Preferably, the switch plates 32 are bowed orbent, as shown in Fig. 4, before they are secured in place, so that whenthey are fastened' to the`disks 30, the fingers 34 of the plates will beunder tension, i. e., are urged inwardly of the groove 33. The parts ofeach unit are secured ,together in any desired manner as, for instance,by rivets 36;- Each .'unit-is provided with a central opening37 of suchsize Vas to permit of rotation of the spring lever 20, and this openinghas diametrically opposite notches 38 which slidably receive, 'esV mostclearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the legs of the .driving member 15.Preferably, there'will be a slight clearance between the legs of thedriving member 15 and the sides of the notches 38 to permit of veryslight tilting action of the units relative to the driving member sothat the units may accommodate themselves to the fixed contacts.

The switch illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 is like that of the precedingembodiment except that the switch unit is of somewhat differentconstruction. Referring to these figures, it will lbe seen that the unithas disks 30, a spacing washer 31 therebetween, and a switch plate 32associated with"each disk.v These parts are mounted on a bushing 50having fianges 5l and 52 at its respective ends, and diai'netricallyopposite, longitudinally extending slots or grooves 53, the lat'- ter ofwhich accommodate the legs of the driving member 15. Each plate 32 has anon-circular opening in which closely fits a lining Washer 54v adaptedto receive the v bushing.l The plates 32 are insulated from the flanges51 and 52 by rings 55 which also serve to hold the lining washers inplace within the plates. The disks 30, the washers 31 and 54, and therings 55 are of insulating material.l These members are respectivelyprovided with diametrically opposite notches 30, 31a, 54, and 55aadapted to register with the slots 53 of the bushing andv to receivethe. legs of. the member 15. If

desired, a metal washer 56 may be interposed between the flange 52 andring 55, and may have notches 56a to receive the member 15.` The partsare slipped, in the sequence shown in Fig. 6, onto the bushin andarethen secured against withdrawa by turning over' the end of the bushing,thus forming the flange 52. Owing to the engagement of the legs of themember 15 in the slots 53 of the bushing, and in the notches 302312 54and 55, these parts rotate ,as a unit when the switch is operated. Thisarrangement isa very simple and economical one; the parts may be cheaplymade and assembled, and the switch plates are properly held and suitablyinsulated.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, itWill ,be understood that the switch units areindependently connectedtothe driving member 15 against rot-ary movement, but they are not fixedthereto against axial movement. The fixed contacts extend into thecontinuous grooves 33 in the switch units and thus hold these units 'atthe properI elevation relative to the fixed terminals. In one manner ofspeaking, the switch units float or ride freely in their rotarymovements on the fixed contacts, but as 'these units are relativelylight in weight, there is substan- Inn cost owing to the'fact thatinaccuracies orerrors 1nl the dimensions or posltions of thel parts areautomatically taken care of, since the units Iare free to accommodatethemselves to the fixed contacts. For-instance, porcelain bases cannotfbemolded to close v dimensions, and bases made in the same mold willvvary one from the other. With the present arrangement, it is notnecessary to true up the bases so that they are yuniform and withinpredescribcd close dimensions. Also, it is not necessary to manufacturethe other parts with the same degree of accuracy as would be the casewere the switch units held in given elevations b y means other than thefixed terminals whic .cooperate with the respective units.

It will be noted further that since all portions of the conductingplates of the switch units, except those portions which are adapted todirectly engage the fixed confacts, are located on the outside of thedisks 30, arcing, when the switch is broken, is

reduced to a minimum. Thus, the switch, as compared to its size, iscapable of being used on relative high voltages.

As many changes could be made in the above, construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

n It is also to be understood that the language used in the followingclaims is in` tended to cover all' of the generic and specitic featuresof the invention herein 'described and all statements of the scope ofthe in vention which, as a matter of language, might be said to falltherebetween.

I claim as' my invention:

l. In an electric switch, fixed contacts` anda switch unit including acircumferentiall 'groovcd insulator and a switch late fixe on the outersurface of said insu ator and having its ends extending into saidgroove, said fixed contacts engaging in said groove and maintaining saidunit in proper relation to said fixed contacts. v 2. In an electricswitch, fixed contacts,

l,and a switch unit including a circumferentially grooved insulator anda pair of 'fixed plates one on the outside face of each insulator andeach having its ends extending -into said groove, said fixed contactsengaging in said groove.

.3. In an electric switch, a spindle, -a spring lever connected thereto,a driving member about said spring lever, a spring about said spindleand cooperating with said spring lever and driving member, and a switchunit having a central opening accommodating saidl spring and lever andhaving notches slidably receiving said driving member.

4. A switch unit including an insulator lhaving a circumferential grooveprovided with slots in its walls, and switch plates on the outer facesof said insulator and having over-turned ends projecting through saidslots and into said groove.

5. A- switch unit including an insulating disk, and a switch platesecuredito one face of said disk and having overturned ends projectingbeyond the opposite face thereof, said plate being secured to said -diskunder stress.

' 6. A switch unit comprising an insulator having a circumferentialgroove, and resilient plates secured to the outer faces of saidinsulator and having their ends projecting into 4said groove, saidswitch plates being normally bowed but held down in a fiat- Wislcondition and under stress against said dis s. l A

7. A switch unit for an electric switch including a bushing havingdiametricallyY opposite longitudinally extending slots and flanges .atits opposite ends, a pair of disks about, said bushing, a spacing washerbetween said disks, a switchK plate associated with each disk and havinga non-circular opening, Washers fitting in the non-circular openingsofsaid switch plates, and insulating rings between said switch plates andflanges, said disks, washers and rings having diametrically oppositenotches adapted to register with the slots of said bushing.

GEORGE HEGEMAN HART.

